Gabriel Germain Joncherie, Still Life 1808
More art by the seashore this time shells in art and seashell art. The marvelous Trompe L'Oeil by Johcherie above at first observation seemed to be a showcase for the pearl, a product of at least some or all of the animals that make their home in the seashells shown in the niches.
Upon closer observation and reflection the pearl necklace, cross, bowl and olive branch appear to represent the Pearl of Great Worth (God's Word and wisdom), Christ the sacrifice (cross), the Holy Spirit (bowl that holds water, water representing the Holy Spirit) and peace (olive branch) in that order.
Possibly the playing card with the King of Diamonds is Jesus who is the King that Christians will rule and reign with, his kingdom is forever and Christians also his subjects, are described as jewels. If you have any ideas I'd love to know.
The broken glass may be symbolic of the scripture "The violent take it by force." Jesus teaching his disciples to have an aggressive stance using spiritual methods.
When I was researching shell images for this post, the previous post had to do with the shore and my vacations to Nagshead, NC and Cape Cod, MA, I became inspired to write another post, this one, I was inspired by another artist's beautiful watercolor of a Nautilus shell.
The image above looking somewhat like a fractural is the the result of that inspiration using an image of a Nautilus shell resizing it several times, repeating it and adding textures.
The image above looking somewhat like a fractural is the the result of that inspiration using an image of a Nautilus shell resizing it several times, repeating it and adding textures.
The image below is for all the surreal art fans. I find it captivating with the man looking out at the ocean with a look of consternation on his face, the small figures and cliff seemingly
Meditation By The Sea, artist unknown, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
going on
forever in the distance creates a sense of vastness of the sea. It looks
contemporary except for the clothing, it was painted in the 1860's.
I took the same Nautilus shell and created this image. It looks somewhat like the primitive style in the 1860's surreal sea image.
I have been working very hard on my images and looking for other artists images to add although one has to ask permission and I don't always have the theme worked out in time before I need to post, I can use images that are in the public domain without permission.
That is one reason why this blog has been challenging - having enough images to share. It also helps me to think about specific subjects to write and create art for. It's like having my own magazine with deadlines, I won't get fired if I don't meet the deadline, just less viewers!
That is one reason why this blog has been challenging - having enough images to share. It also helps me to think about specific subjects to write and create art for. It's like having my own magazine with deadlines, I won't get fired if I don't meet the deadline, just less viewers!
Below is a beautiful collection of shells that would make Martha Stewart jealous! I'm only kidding, I love Martha she is iconic, famous for her design and holistic lifestyle.
Alexandre Isadore De Barde, A Selection of Shells Arranged On a Shelf
This is what I call a still life table collection of shells and corals beautifully by Ann Vallayer Coster.
Ann Vallayer Coster, With Tuft of Marine Plants, Shells and Corals
I created the one below, 'Shipwreak II,' it's actually a photo of one of the conch shells on a Christmas wreath I made with tree branches and real magnolia leaves that are not recognizable in the image and added textures.
One more to finish the view on seashells. This one fits the category of seashells as art, a spectacular flower arrangement made entirely of shells in the late 1700's.
